Quantum Otto and Carnot engines have recently been receiving attention due to their ability to achieve high efficiencies and powers based on the laws of quantum mechanics. This paper discusses the theory, progress, and possible applications of quantum Otto and Carnot engines, such as energy production, cooling, and nanoscale technologies. In particular, we investigate a two-spin Heisenberg system that works as a substance in quantum Otto and Carnot cycles while exposed to an external magnetic field with both Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya and dipole-dipole interactions. The four stages of engine cycles are subject to analysis with respect to the heat exchanges that occur between the hot and cold reservoirs, alongside the work done during each stage. The operating conditions of the heat engine, refrigerator, thermal accelerator, and heater are all achieved. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the laws of thermodynamics are strictly upheld and the Carnot cycle produces more useful work than that of the Otto cycle.

The merging of quantum information science with the relativity theory presents novel opportunities for understanding the enigmas surrounding the transmission of information in relation to black holes. For this purpose, we study the quantumness near a Schwarzschild black hole in a practical model under decoherence. The scenario we consider in this paper is that a stationary particle in the flat region interacts with its surroundings while another particle experiences free fall in the vicinity of a Schwarzschild black hole’s event horizon. We explore the impacts of Hawking radiation and decoherence on the system under investigation and find that these effects can limit the survival of quantum characteristics, but cannot destroy them completely. Hence, the results of this study possess the potential to yield valuable insights into the comprehension of the quantum properties of a real system operating within a curved space-time framework.

The concepts of concurrence, 3-steerability, and Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt (CHSH) inequality are employed to investigate the environmental impacts on the quantum correlations of the two-spin-1/2 Heisenberg XYZ chain model. In particular, the effects of a homogeneous magnetic field, symmetric cross interaction, and dipole–dipole interaction on the entanglement, degree of steerability, and non-locality are discussed. Results show that the entanglement and steering phenomena are bounded by the non-locality for both positive and negative values of dipole–dipole coupling. It has also been observed that higher symmetric cross-interaction strengthens the quantum correlations, whereas the homogeneous magnetic field weakens the quantumness of the system. The findings indicate that a magnetic field normal to the magnetic dipole yields better quantum correlations than when they are parallel.